Archive for April, 2011
A guest post by Lauren of Lauren Elise Crafted.
I love vintage books and have started a small collection of them. But books can take up a lot of space so I have been exploring ways to incorporate my collection into my décor without cluttering up my life (too much that is!). I realize that what I like about these old books is not necessarily the printed word within them and that usually I find random titles from antique stores that I can hardly imagine anyone reading. But the book covers themselves have fabulous textures, fonts, and prints so that is what I focused on for this DIY. I transformed the covers into picture frames to highlight some of my favorite black and white photos of family members. And it helped clear up some of my shelves in the process.
Materials: 1. Vintage books that you don’t mind cutting up 2. Photographs 3. Metal-edge ruler 4. X-acto knife 5. Pencil 6. Firmer chisel or a similar wedge tool 7. Tacky glue 8. Binder clips 9. Masking tape
Step by Step How To: 1. Cut out the pages of the book, leaving just the cover. 2. On the back of the cover, outline where you want to place the picture. 3. Run your x-acto knife over the outline but do not cut all the way through. You want to leave the book cloth intact. Use the firmer chisel to pry away the chipboard part of the cover. 4. Once all the chipboard is removed, create a new outline, 3/8” inward from the first. Cut out that outline. 5. Glue the 3/8” tabs and fold over. Hold in place with binder clips and let dry. 6. Secure your picture onto a piece of cardstock and then use masking tape to hold the picture in place over the frame. You can glue the picture into place as well but the masking tape will allows you to change it in the future.
About Lauren: Lauren Elise is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California, School of Architecture. And she loves all things crafty, homemade, and vintage. You can see more of her crafty world on her blog, Lauren Elise Crafted, and her handmade goodies on Etsy at L. Elise Crafted for more.
For more ideas for quick and easy projects, click here to visit the craft tutorials and diy page filled with more than 60 diy’s. If you like this diy project, please help me spread the word by using the twitter and facebook buttons below. Thank you so much.
So, I’ve been hooked on Mae for the last two years. It’s true. I even looked up the very first time I wrote about this adorable fabric sticker decor shop. Yep, almost two years ago exactly.
And I love the way Peta, Emily, and Rebekah are constantly evolving. It seems like almost every time I visit, they have added a new piece to the collection or new product shots, or whatever else these fab ladies do.
Mini Lesson to be Learned from Mae: Updating your shop often is not only appreciated. It’s important. It’s really what makes people come back. Aside from the goods of course, which in this case are seriously, well, good! And unique.
Speaking of unique, here’s a little more info about Mae and the products sold in the store…
Unlike most wall decals on the market, which are made of vinyl, our lovely stickers are made of fabric. This makes them perfect for children, as they are removable and completely reusable. YES! Our stickers are re-usable. They can be scrunched into a ball and will easily un-scrunch and re-apply to your wall, many times over. This is important when it comes to those precious yet impossibly grubby little ones! Our stickers can be applied to almost any surface, and will not damage your walls.
These girls are solving problems left and right. The stickers are easy to remove, won’t damage walls, and can be reused over and over again! All I need now is for those decals to leap off the wall and clean my house. Can we arrange that?
Visit Mae now for fabric wall decals bursting with adorableness.
Looking for another way to get your work out into the world? I’d recommend selling at real life shows and fairs in addition to an online presence. There are actually a few shows coming up at the end of the year that just might be the perfect fit for you. Especially if you’re already on the east coast. It’s called the One of a Kind Show and it is happening in November and December (once in New York and once in Chicago). Its a holiday shopping event featuring fine art and craft from a juried selection of North America’s most talented artists.
Get all the details for becoming an exhibitor for New York or Chicago right here.
If you have an online presence, a matching Twitter feed is status quo. Don’t let this valuable asset go to waste; Twitter is a champion tool for networking and finding sales leads. Here are the top 5 ways to use Twitter to engage your community:
Speak up and Use it: The more you tweet, the more followers you’ll gain. Jump right in and chat with people. Follow the people you admire, and let them know you love their work.
Use Twitter’s Search Function: Use search.twitter.com to see what people are chatting about in your niche right now! Or Type in “sandwich” so you can laugh and see people tweeting about whether their sandwich is mediocre or delicious:
Using Twitter’s Search Function to Engage Your Community: One day while searching I noticed a funny tweet by @useyourtanuki. He asked if it’s okay to pick up chicks while thrifting!
I posed the question to my thrifty followers on his behalf, who engaged and responded. @modernthrifter shared tales of unwanted advances, Thrifting pros like @thenonconsumer, @thingsifound, and @thrifting4good said thrifting is best done solo.
The result:
Mission accomplished!
Use Google News: You might be out of ideas or links to share on Twitter. When you’re running low, use Google’s News Search. Type in a keyword associated with your niche, and you’ll quickly find something to share.
Twitter Giveaways: Twitter Giveaways offer so many valuable opportunities. You can gain more followers, or have your current followers answer survey questions.
Really Communicate: Twitter is all about having real conversations. Reply when someone asks a question. Be casual, and be real. Do this, and the ideal audience will come to you. This audience will follow you back, follow your blog, and buy your products.
Remember: Every time you tweet, you’re making opportunities. Follow me, @thriftcore and Brittni, @papernstitch. We’ll answer your questions and chat with you about how much we love art and whether or not your sandwich is tasty.
*image c/o Nozzman
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
There are a few parties coming up around here in the next couple of months (my sister-in-laws bridal shower, her wedding, and my birthday all in the same month). So, I should probably keep Hank + Hunt party details on hand. Hank + Hunt supplies pretty party goodies: fanciful garlands, cupcake toppers, printables, and more.
Special Offer for PNS Readers: ALL printables have matching “mini” sets that will release mid-APRIL. Get yours now for FREE with all PRINTABLE orders. *Use code PAPERNSTITCH in the MESSAGE part of your Etsy check out and recieve a free “mini” page of printies to match your PRINTABLE.
Visit Hank + Hunt now to get your free mini set of printables with any purchase.
Just popping in to let you know that I’m on Laura Roeder today sharing my top five tips for successfully working from home. Something I happen to know a lot about, since I’ve been working from home full-time for almost two years now. I’ll give you a little taste of my post with part of tip number one…
1. Establish a space in your home that is solely for your business. This could be as dedicated as a whole room, or as small as a tiny nook (just make sure it has a door). It doesn’t matter what the size, as long as it is large enough for you to get your work done, and you feel comfortable working there routinely. *Bonus Tip: Don’t be afraid to test out various areas until you get it right. Read more…
If you want the full scoop, you’ll have to head over to LauraRoeder.com to read my post about working from home. And be sure to leave me a comment over there, if you don’t mind, so I know you stopped by. See you tomorrow.
Hope your day is going well so far. Earlier, I shared the work of Jennifer squires, and (silly me) I forgot to mention that the new pns exhibition went up this morning. Of course, I am pumped, as always, about all the great new shops to explore. AND there are lots of special discounts and promos for your pns readers as well: Visit the sales and promos page now and save.
Hope you’ll check them out. And if you’re looking for suggestions, here are a few home decor shops I am crazy for at the moment…
(above) RebeccaPlotnick: Gorgeous travel photography from Italy, France, and England. In large formats (like the photo above) and smaller sizes as well.
Mod Pieces: Amazing upcycled vintage furnishings shop. All pieces are salvaged from thrift and antique shops alike. Then, they are given new life with a modern twist. Love this shop!
Green Couch Designs: GCD has a little bit of everything, but what I love most in this shop are the hand stamped tea towels and unique screen printed mixer covers. Definitely worth a long looksy.
Mae: Home of the original fabric wall decals… Mae’s fabric wall decals are reusable & removable. So they’re friendly to your walls and non toxic & biodegradable.
If you like the new exhibition, please retweet and facebook this post using the buttons below. Thank you!
